This is not the official FAQ for alt.fan.harry-potter, because there is
no one true official FAQ. There are other FAQs, which can be found at
<http://www.hogwartslibrary.net/ref/>. Of all the general FAQs, this can
only claim to be the wordiest.

1. THE NEWSGROUP
1.1 How does this thing work?
1.2 What's on topic for this group?
1.3 What do these abbreviations mean?
1.4 What's a "spoiler"?
1.5 What sort of things need spoiler space?
1.6 What's "canon"?
1.7 Do I need to check the Google archive before posting?
1.8 Eek! Is Tom Felton really reading this?

2. THE BOOKS
2.1 What are the official Harry Potter books?
2.2 When will the next book be out?
2.3 Why was there such a huge gap between the release of the fourth
and fifth books?
2.4 Why is it the Sorcerer's Stone in the US and the Philosopher's Stone
everywhere else?
2.5 Where can I download the books?
2.6 No, where can I download illegal copies of them for free?
2.7 Will there be an eighth book?
2.8 How are the "adult" editions different from the regular ones?
2.9 What are the differences between the US and UK editions?
2.10 I heard there was going to be a book called...?

3. THE MOVIES
3.1 What can you tell me about the release of the next movie?
3.2 Who will be in the upcoming movies?
3.3 Are the movies canon?
3.4 Where can I download the movies?
3.5 No, where can I download illegal copies of them for free?

4. ELECTRONIC VERSIONS
4.1 How do I get to the deleted scenes on the extras DVD for the first
movie?
4.2 Is there another ending to the Chamber of Secrets tour?
4.3 Where can I find cheats for the video games?

5. WEB SITES
5.1 Where are the official sites?
5.2 Where can I find Harry Potter news?
5.3 Where can I find fan fiction?
5.4 What about reference sites?
5.5 What's the deal with the door on the Flash side of Rowling's
official site?

6. LEGAL STUFF
6.1 Is my fan site illegal?
6.2 Is fan fiction illegal?
6.3 What's the Stouffer lawsuit about and how is it doing?
6.4 What's going on with J. K. Rowling suing Steve Vander Ark?
6.5 Did you just say Rowling doesn't actually own Harry Potter?

7. GATHERINGS
7.1 What are some upcoming Harry Potter-related events?

8. THE RESTRICTED SECTION
This part is for questions that require spoilers to answer. Even the
question list has spoilers, so you will find it buried underneath the
spoiler space after section 7.

If you're coming to us through Google Groups, it's possible that you can
also access this newsgroup locally through your ISP with a dedicated
newsreader. To test this, try going to "news:alt.fan.harry-potter&quot; (no
"http"!) with your browser and see what happens.

In the broadest sense, any information from a book or movie someone
hasn't seen yet. For instance, if you haven't read _Harry Potter and the
Chamber of Secrets_ or seen the movie yet, an explanation of what the
Chamber of Secrets is would be a spoiler for you.

Articles which contain important spoilers should precede them with a
warning-- be sure to mention which book the spoilers are from-- and
lines of "spoiler space" so that a reader does not see any spoilers in
the first screen of the article. This gives them the chance to skip to
the next article to avoid being spoiled. You can put just about anything
you want in the lines of spoiler space, although it will help out the
blind readers, who have to use text-to-voice translators, if you don't
use a bunch of random punctuation.

1.5 What needs to be protected with spoiler space?

One category absolutely needs spoiler space: *any* plot information
about an as-yet-unreleased book or movie. Other than that, it's a
judgement call. The more significant the information is to the main plot
arc, the bigger a surprise it is, the later a book it comes from, the
more you should think about putting spoiler space in front of it. Don't
expect everyone to have digested all the books, movies, and interviews
before starting to read this group.

If you're going to use spoiler space, remember to keep the spoilers
out of your subject line, too.

1.6 What's "canon"?

The official version-- any information about the plot, characters, or
world of Harry Potter coming from the books or from Rowling herself.

1.7 Do I need to check the Google archive before posting?

Not unless you're posting a hot news tip, in which case the group would
appreciate it if you check to make sure you aren't the umpteenth person
to tell us about it. Other than that, even if the topic you're raising
has been discussed before, you or someone else who has joined this
newsgroup in the meantime might have something new to say about it.
Reading the rest of this FAQ before you post might be a good idea,
though.

1.8 Eek! Is Tom Felton really reading this?

He certainly endorses this newsgroup on his Web site, but he's a busy
guy and surely can't keep up with everything here. If your intention in
posting is for him to see your message, you would probably do better to
use his feedback page: <http://thomasfelton.com/feedback.html>. I'm sure
he'll appreciate your making the effort to contact him directly. So will
we.

2. THE BOOKS

2.1 What are the official Harry Potter books?

The main books:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (or Sorcerer's Stone, in the US)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Supplementary books:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Quidditch Through the Ages
The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Anything else is unapproved by Rowling or her publishers, no matter how
official it claims to be.

2.2 When will the next book be out?

The series is finished. Rowling has said she is working on an
encyclopedia, but no release date has been announced for it.

2.3 Why was there such a huge gap between the release of the fourth and
fifth books?

The official reasons are the enormous size of the fifth book and a
desire to avoid the errors that got into the fourth book when it was
rushed out. If you prefer a juicy rumor, pick any or all of the
following: marriage, pregnancy, childbirth, writer's block, easy living,
and the Stouffer lawsuit.

2.4 Why is it the Sorcerer's Stone in the US and the Philosopher's Stone
everywhere else?

Philosopher's Stone is the proper term. Arthur Levine, the editor
handling the US version of the book, wanted to change it because he was
concerned that American parents would not understand the reference and
would be put off by the academic connotations of "Philosopher". The
change was made with Rowling's input and approval. Both Rowling and
Levine have expressed regrets since.

2.5 Where can I download the books?

The texts have not been published in electronic format. However, you can
get the audiobooks from iTunes.

2.6 No, where can I download illegal copies of them for free?

There are undoubtedly copies circulating out there somewhere, but don't
come crying to us when the FBI breaks down your door.

2.7 Will there be an eighth book?

There will be exactly seven books describing Harry's adventures, no
more. However, there are already three supplementary books (see 2.1),
and Rowling says that she would be willing to do more for charity. She
has also said she would definitely like to revise the whole series once
she finished the seventh book.

2.8 How are the "adult" editions different from the regular ones?

The adult editions have more respectable-looking covers. Not a word of
the actual stories is different, but the W. H. Smith "People's Choice"
award was given specifically to the adult edition of _Order of the
Phoenix_.

2.9 What are the differences between the US and UK editions?

The Harry Potter Lexicon maintains lists of differences between the
editions. You can find them from the menu at
<http://www.hp-lexicon.org/help.html>. The differences are mostly due to
translating between the dialects (e.g., "jumper" in the UK becomes
"sweater" in the US).

2.10 I heard there was going to be a book called...?

Wait! If it's one of the following, it's not one of Rowling's titles.
Some of these have been circulating since before GoF was released.

Harry Potter and the Alchemist's Cell
Harry Potter and the Pyramids of Furmat
Harry Potter and the Chariots of Light
Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch
Harry Potter and the Pillar of Storge

3. THE MOVIES

3.1 What can you tell me about the release of the next movie?

_Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_ part 2 is currently scheduled
for release in the US on July 15, 2011.

3.2 Who will be in the upcoming movies?

All actors playing recurring characters are expected to appear as long
as those characters do. Steve Kloves is returning as scriptwriter and
David Yates as the director for all the remaining movies.

3.3 Are the movies canon?

No. The scriptwriters have consulted with Rowling, but we have no way of
knowing whether information which is not in the books originated with
her or not.

3.4 Where can I download the movies?

Warner Bros. has not made them available for download.

3.5 No, where can I download illegal copies of them for free?

There are undoubtedly copies circulating out there somewhere, but don't
come crying to us when the FBI breaks down your door.

4. ELECTRONIC VERSIONS

4.1 How do I get to the deleted scenes on the extras DVD for the first
movie?

Settle in, this is a long trip. From the main menu, go to Diagon Alley.
Select bricks in any order until you get through the wall. Select the
key at the bottom of the sign, then select the stacks of coins. Go back
out to Diagon Alley and into Ollivander's. Pick any three wands; the
third will be successful. Return to the main menu and go to the
classrooms. Select the pedestal by clicking *twice* on it. Select the
flute. Select the key with the broken wing (it's the one way in the
back). Select the round potion bottle. Select the stone in the mirror
and you will at last be at the first deleted scenes menu.

Some people have reported that they can jump to title 80 (completion of
the key puzzle) and continue from there to the deleted scenes. Some
can't. If you try it and it doesn't work, you will need to restart your
DVD entirely to make the long way work.

4.2 Is there another ending to the Chamber of Secrets tour?

No, there's just the one way out.

4.3 Where can I find cheats for the video games?

There are a lot of sites that carry them-- enter "harry potter cheats"
and the game platform you are using at your favorite search engine.

The following is an incomplete list of general Potter fan fiction sites.
Left out completely are the countless pages that specialize in
particular characters. See your favorite search engine if you want to
find one for your favorite character(s).

The Akashic Record <http://www.m5p.com/~pravn/hp/>: Basic information
from the books, with etymologies, symbolism, and cultural information,
organized by spoiler level.
(Warning! The author of this FAQ is touting her own site here.)

Hogwarts Library <http://www.hogwartslibrary.net/>: Older reference and
discussion site organized in support of this newsgroup, now defunct and
living at the HP Lexicon.

5.5 What's the deal with the door on the Flash side of Rowling's
official site?

It opens only sporadically. If it won't open for you, you're not doing
anything wrong, it just means she didn't feel like letting it open that
day.

6. LEGAL STUFF

6.1 Is my fan site illegal?

It depends on exactly what you have on your site, how you're using it,
and whether any of the copyright or trademark holders has asked you to
stop. The entertainment industry is aware these days that it is in its
best interests to allow online fan communities to flourish, so you're
unlikely to get a cease-and-desist letter unless you are doing something
like distributing unauthorized copies of the books or movies from your
site.

Adding a copyright acknowledgement or a link to an official site isn't
going to help you if one of the copyright or trademark holders
disapproves of what you're doing. However, if you still would like to
include a disclaimer, "SteveD3" reports that when he asked Warner
Brothers for official permission for his Web site, they suggested the
following:

"HARRY POTTER, HOGWARTS CREST, GRYFFINDOR, RAVENCLAW, HUFFLEPUFF, and
SLYTHERIN characters, names and related characters are trademarks of
Warner Bros. TM & (C) 2003. Harry Potter Publishing Rights (C) J.K.R.
Note the opinions on this site are those made by the owners. All stories
(fanfiction) are owned by the author and are not subject to copyright
law. This site (C) 2003 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED."

If you are a real stickler for details, change "2003" to the release
year of the most recent movie.

6.2 Is fan fiction illegal?

If Rowling or Bloomsbury object to it, yes, but they don't much. Rowling
says on her Web site: "Fan fiction is really fun, though, and I am so
proud to think that Harry Potter inspired so much creativity!" On the
other hand, she does not approve of adult-oriented fan fiction.

6.3 What's the Stouffer lawsuit about and how is it doing?

Nancy Stouffer, another children's author, accused Rowling of stealing
material from her stories to use in the Harry Potter books. Rowling sued
to have the accusation disproved, Stouffer made counterclaims, and
finally, in September 2002, a judge ruled not only that the similarities
between the two authors' works were "minimal and superficial", but that
some of Stouffer's evidence was fraudulent, and fined her $50,000.
Stouffer appealed the decision, but the appeal was denied in January
2004.

The lawsuit in question actually filed by Warner Brothers against RDR
Books, over its planned publication of a condensed print version of the
Harry Potter Lexicon site. WB alleged infringement on its trademarks and
copyrights, primarily for the Harry Potter books.

The case was heard in April 2008. The judge's ruling was that the Lexicon
book was sufficiently transformative of the main series, but not of the
two companion books, since those were already structured as reference
books. The Lexicon book was permanently barred from publication in that
form, and WB was awarded the minimum possible damages of US$6750.

The trademark part of the case, which was about cover elements that WB
thought could imply an official endorsement of the book, was settled out
of court.

The latest Bloomsbury and Scholastic copyright notices state that Warner
Brothers owns the Harry Potter characters, trademarks, book art, and
just about all other intellectual property associated with the series.
Rowling owns the text and some control over publishing rights.

The last section of this FAQ contains MAJOR spoilers! If you haven't
read all the books, skip to the next article now!

This
space
provided
to
keep
you
from
being
inadvertently
spoiled
by
what
follows--
this
is
your
last
warning!

8. THE RESTRICTED SECTION

8.1 Is there a FAQ which covers the most frequently proposed theories,
which you have been dying to tell me about but held back until now
because it contains a lot of spoilers?
8.2 Why does James Potter appear before Lily in GoF?
8.3 Is Sirius really dead?
8.4 Does it say that Voldemort/Tom Riddle dies at the beginning of GoF?
8.5 Why couldn't Harry see thestrals before when he'd already witnessed
his parents' deaths?
8.6 How could the Sorting Hat possibly consider putting Harry in
Slytherin if he isn't a pureblood?
8.7 Did Lucius Malfoy really try to AK Harry at the end of CoS??
8.8 Who are the heads of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
8.9 What houses were Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew in?
8.10 How did Harry get the Marauder's Map back at the end of GoF?
8.11 What else did everyone do after the war?
8.12 Why was there no portrait of Snape in the Headmaster's office near
the end of DH?
8.13 Where were all the pieces of Voldemort's soul?
8.14 How did Harry survive the Killing Curse in the Forbidden Forest?
8.15 What was the thing in King's Cross Station near the end of DH?
8.16 What, in general, was going on with the Elder Wand?

8.1 Is there a FAQ which covers the most frequently proposed theories,
which you have been dying to tell me about but held back until now
because it contains a lot of spoilers?

This is an error in the first edition. Since Lily was killed after
James, she should appear first, and does in later printings. Part of the
reason for the relaxed schedule for the fifth book was to avoid mistakes
like this.

8.3 Is Sirius really dead?

Yes. He is no more. He has ceased to be. He is an ex-Sirius.

8.4 Does it say that Voldemort/Tom Riddle dies at the beginning of GoF?

The three Riddles killed at the Riddle house are Tom Riddle *senior*--
Voldemort's Muggle father-- and Tom Riddle Sr.'s mother and father.

8.5 Why couldn't Harry see thestrals before when he'd already been
present at his parents' deaths?

Rowling's explanation is that it doesn't count to have seen death unless
you understand what you've seen, which wasn't true for Harry until he'd
seen Cedric die and had some time to think it over. The carriages were
still "horseless" when he was going back to the train station at the end
of GoF because it hadn't really sunk in yet.

8.6 How could the Sorting Hat possibly consider putting Harry in
Slytherin if he isn't a pureblood?

Salazar Slytherin may have held to the pureblood idea, but it's Godric
Gryffindor's hat, and not constrained by that requirement. You may
recall that it previously put Tom Riddle Jr., a half-blood, into
Slytherin.

8.7 Did Lucius Malfoy really try to AK Harry at the end of CoS??

The book says simply that "he lunged at Harry", so for purposes of
canon, probably not. As for the movie, some people hear Malfoy saying
"Avada", but some hear "Vada", "Vera", or something along those lines.
Closed captioning differs from region to region. The only person who can
give us a definitive answer is Jason Isaacs. If you get a chance to ask
him about this, please let us know what he says.

8.8 Who are the heads of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?

Professor Sprout is the head of Hufflepuff; Professor Flitwick is the
head of Ravenclaw.

Rowling said in her 2004 World Book Day online chat that Harry just
retrieved it from the fake Moody's office when all the excitement was
over.

8.11 What else did everyone do after the war?

Harry became the head Auror, assisting the new Minister of Magic,
Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Hermione joined the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical
Creatures where she was instrumental in greatly improving life for
house-elves. She then moved to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
where she was a progressive voice who worked to repeal oppressive, pro-
pureblood laws.

Ron took Fred's place at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.

Ginny played with the Holyhead Harpies for a few years, then retired to
start her family with Harry and be the Daily Prophet's Quidditch
correspondent.

Luna became a famous naturalist, and later in life would marry fellow
naturalist Rolf Scamander, the grandson of Newt. She kept an open mind,
but did eventually accept that there were no Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.

Percy returned to the Ministry.

George also married, and named his first child Fred.

8.12 Why was there no portrait of Snape in the Headmaster's office near
the end of DH?

Because he abandoned his post as Headmaster. However, Harry later
arranged for a portrait to be made and placed there.

8.13 Where were all the pieces of Voldemort's soul?

1. Tom Riddle's diary, made a Horcrux when he killed Moaning Myrtle.
2. Helga Hufflepuff's cup, when he killed Hepzibah Smith for it.
3. Salazar Slytherin's locket, when he killed a Muggle tramp.
4. Cadmus Peverell's ring, when he killed Tom Riddle senior.
5. Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, when he killed an Albanian peasant.
6. Harry's scar, when he tried to kill Harry. (Debate continues as to
whether this counts as a Horcrux.)
7. Nagini, when he killed Bertha Jorkins.

The precise order of 2-5 is not clear. And yes, this means Voldemort
split his soul into eight pieces, not the seven he intended.

8.14 How did Harry survive the Killing Curse in the Forbidden Forest?

It killed the piece of Voldemort's soul that had been embedded in him.
He had the choice to return because of his blood tie to the part of
Voldemort that was still living, but another curse would probably have
killed Harry directly.

8.15 What was the thing in King's Cross Station near the end of DH?

This is what Rowling says on her site:

"I've been asked this a LOT. It is the last piece of soul Voldemort
possesses. When Voldemort attacks Harry, they both fall temporarily
unconscious, and both their souls - Harry's undamaged and healthy,
Voldemort's stunted and maimed - appear in the limbo where Harry meets
Dumbledore."

8.16 What, in general, was going on with the Elder Wand?

Albus Dumbledore became master of the Elder Wand when he defeated
Gellert Grindelwald. When Snape killed Dumbledore, that led Voldemort
to believe that now Snape was the master of the wand. Snape then
arranged for Voldermort to take it. This did not work as well as
Voldemort expected, leading him to believe that the wand had not yet
surrendered its allegiance to Snape. Thus Voldemort killed Snape, to
give himself complete mastery of the wand.

In fact, Snape was never the master of the wand. Draco first defeated
Dumbledore by disarming him (as Dumbledore pointed out at great length
before he was killed). This made Draco the master of the Elder Wand.
Harry then defeated Draco at Malfoy Manor.

So when Voldemort faced Harry at the very end, Harry was the true master
of the Elder Wand. That was what gave Harry the upper hand, allowing his
spell to ricochet Voldemort's Killing Curse back at him.

Re: Anyone got a copy of the FAQ?... This is not the official FAQ for alt.fan.harry-potter, ... What sort of things need spoiler space?... What are the official Harry Potter books?...(alt.fan.harry-potter)